From Red to Blue
by LawlietsDarkAngel
Summary: The Demon of Notre Dame lived his life in a bell tower, dreaming of what it felt like to be free. One day he meets a silver haired gypsy who shows him the true meaning of freedom, love, and sadness.
1. The Story

A woman in a purple and yellow outfit stood on a busy street outside of the Notre Dame cathedral. Next to her was a poorly built puppet stage, covered in brightly colored fabrics. A near by clock tower signaled the time with its booming chimes, and she smiled slipping her mask on. Her short, brown hair swayed in the breeze as she stepped into the road.

"All people young and old who wish to get away from their boring lives, come to me! Gather 'round, gather 'round for I have a story that will take your minds off of your tiresome work for at least a little while."

Children from near by homes ran outside and gathered around her. Some even had their parents following, for this story teller was well known. When they were all settled, she jumped and landed on the top of her stage, causing gasps to come out of the crowd. Her bi-colored eyes twinkled in the noon day sun as she sat down.

"Have any of you heard the story of the demon that lives in Notre Dame?" All of the children shook their heads, while some of the adults nodded. The story was a popular folk tale told amongst those who disagreed with the church.

"Well then, would you like to hear it?" The children cheered, and the woman back flipped off of her stage, and landed behind it. From out of no where she produced a puppet dressed all in black. He rode a horse, and she made it gallop across the stage.

"You see, there once was a man who said he loved the church, and would help anyone in need. But in reality, he was an evil man, who killed and lied for his own gain. One night he found a group of gypsies crossing into the city illegally, and chased them down. He killed them all, except for one. It was a woman holding a baby."

Here she produced another puppet. This one was dressed in purple clothing, and it held a white bundle in its arms.

"The woman begged for her and her child's life, but he killed her anyway, snatching the baby away before she hit the ground. He was shocked to see not the face of an ordinary baby, but one of a monster."

A well popped up onto the stage, and the black clothed puppet , now holding the white bundle, made its way towards it.

"He decided to drown the creature, for the sake of the cities safety you see. But before he could drop it into the dark waters of the well, something amazing happened. The babies red eyes turned a bright, beautiful blue, and its dark, leathery skin turned pink and plump. The baby he now held was a normal human."

"The man was amazed and decided that instead of killing it, he would keep it and learn the secrets behind its transformation." The well and the horse disappeared, and were replaced with a set of stairs.

"He named the baby Nero, and locked him away in the bell tower of the cathedral. Over time the boy grew up, and became known as the bell ringer of Notre Dame. The man who raised him studied him for years, but could never make him transform again. Then one night, Nero decided to leave the tower, without his master's knowing."

The stairs on the stage vanished, and a puppet with white hair and blue eyes appeared.

"He met a gypsy man and fell in love." Another white haired puppet came onto the stage as the shocked noises of the adults were heard. A relationship between two men was a huge sin. People known to be in them were hung or burned at the stake.

"Little did Nero know," the story teller continued, "that falling in love would eventually lead to his own death."


	2. Master and Seeing Him

'Sup everyone. I'm going to try and update both this story and Broken Promises as fast as possible, so cross your fingers for another update in both this week.

**Warnings: Mentions of religion. I'm not trying to insult anyone with different religious views. It's barely anything in here anyway.**

**Ladysubaru83:** I'm glad you think so. It's nice hearing from you again.

**SirenaLoreley**: I love them too. I'm glad people are getting into this. Thanks for the review.

**XxGoodGirlGoneTobixX: **Lol thanks. It makes me happy to hear stuff like that.

**kingdomheartsforevs: **I'm happy that you think so. I hope I don't disappoint you XD.

**2: Master and Seeing Him**

Movement could be seen in the city just as the sun began to rise. Today was the Festival of Fools, a yearly tradition. Nero gazed longingly below as men and women ran around setting up tents and calling to each other.

He laughed when a child tripped an adult, causing them to land face first in a mud puddle. His smile disappeared, however, when he saw a group of gypsies being harassed. He hated that they were treated badly just because they looked different.

His mother had been a gypsy. That's why he too looked like one. They all had similar features: silver hair and strangely colored eyes. But he would be out casted even by them. That's why he was locked away. Or so he was told.

The sound of footsteps echoed up the stairs to his room and he panicked. Moving quickly, he cleaned the room and waited. An elderly man entered a minute later, scanning the room with beady eyes.

He faced Nero saying, "Have you noticed any changes in your behavior? Does your body feel any different?"

Sighing internally, Nero shook his head.

"No master." It was always the same questions. He was an experiment to the man in front of him, nothing else. His master sighed. Turning to look out the window he said,

"I will be attending the festival today. It is my unfortunate duty to watch over the maggots that inhabit this city."

Nero gulped and took a deep breath, preparing himself to step over the boundaries that he was forced to stay within.

"Master, may I go to the festival with you?" The older man spun back around and looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"No."

"But master," Nero sputtered, "I've never been out of the bell tower. I'm old enough now to know what I shouldn't do if I were to go down there. Please, let me go with you."

His master walked over to Nero, and gripped his chin. Forcing the younger man to look into his eyes, he smirked coldly.

"Do you truly think you will ever be able to go outside and live like a normal person? You are not normal. I doubt you are even fully human. Haven't you ever wondered why you are here? Your gypsy mother didn't want you. When I found her, she was trying to drown you in a well outside of the church. Do not make the mistake of thinking that you will ever fit in with the human society."

Nero pulled away. He already knew this; he knew that he was a freak. That he was abnormal. He had never told his master, but lately his right arm had been hurting badly. The skin was hardening like a shell, and it scared him.

But even so, he still wanted to try and live normally. It was a stupid dream, but it was the only thing keeping him sane right now. You could only have so much hope when you were locked up alone in a tower.

The old man lifted Nero's face again, gently this time. He attempted to smile kindly, but it was obviously forced.

"My dear Nero. I am only doing this to protect you. The outside world is a cruel place, filled with liars and thieves. They will never accept you. But I have. I am your only friend."

"Yes master."

"Good. I will be leaving then. Kyrie will bring you your morning meal today."

Nero scowled silently. He did not like Kyrie. She was beautiful yes, but she was also cruel. She was one of the workers in the church, and it still amazed him that she could say she served God with a straight face.

He bowed as his master left. Walking back to the window, he was slightly worried when he heard yelling drifting up from below. The group of gypsies from earlier was now surrounded by a large pack of soldiers.

Two of them were women, one blonde and the other with dark hair. Though all gypsies were born with silver hair, most of them found ways to change its color. It was easier to walk around this way.

The last two were men. One of them was wearing a bright purple bodysuit and had a painted white face. It was most likely him that had gotten them in trouble. Normal people didn't like it when others stood out.

But the person who really caught his eye was the last man. Nero had always had very good eyesight. It was one of the many things that made him feel different from everyone else. But his sight allowed him to see every detail of the man down below.

He was one of the few gypsies around that hadn't tried to alter his appearance. His silver hair glowed in the sunlight, and he wore only pants. There weren't even any shoes on his feet.

They finally managed to lose the guards, and the small group ran away to wherever they lived. All of them except one. The silver haired man turned, looking directly up at Nero.

Ice blue met dark blue as they stared at each other for a moment before the gypsy man raised a hand and saluted, smiling as he quickly followed his comrades.

Nero shook his head and backed up from the window. It was strange. For a moment he felt as though he had connected with man. Clearing his mind of all thoughts, Nero made his way up the many flights of stairs to the top of the cathedral. It was time to ring the bells.

* * *

The shirtless man slowed to a walk, his mind filled with the gorgeous blue eyes of the mystery man in the tower. He could no longer see his companions, so he stopped. His eyes closed as the bells of Notre Dame rang, filling the city with its beautiful chimes.

"Dante what are you doing? Hurry up or I'm going to sick Vergil on you!"

His twins name brought him out of his peaceful mindset. He rushed to catch up with the dark haired woman who threatened him, though his mind was still else where.

Maybe a trip to the cathedral was in order.


	3. The Court of Miracles

So I think that I'm going to update this story quite fast. I'm really getting into it. Just so everyone knows, Dante in here is the same Dante from DMC3. I know the timeline doesn't work with Nero but whatever. They are both 19.

Also, Credo and Kyrie are not related in this. Just so you know.

**SirenaLoreley: Yes she is very OOC in here, but if you think about it, it kinda works. **

**fanofonepiece: Thanks. I'm glad you like it.**

**XxGoodGirlGoneTobixX: Yeah I wish I could make them longer, but I have each chapter planned out in my head you know? Thanks for reviewing.**

**Bitbyboth: I already replied to you, but thanks again :3**

**Ladtsubaru83: Yes shirtless Dante is the best XD**

Dante walked through the graveyard that housed the secret hideout of the gypsies. It was known as the Court of Miracles to those that knew of its existence. He trekked down into a grave that led to a sewer, which eventually opened up into a giant dungeon.

The dungeon was the same size as the city above it. Its walls were covered with brightly colored tapestries, and small huts were everywhere. Children in crazy clothing ran around screaming at each other, while adults in equally strange clothing laughed and joked with one another. It was good to be home.

Walking towards the hut he shared with his brother, Dante shook his head as the sound of his twin yelling reached his ears. Vergil stood in front of their small house reprimanding an angry looking Jester.

"How many times do we have to go over this Jester? If you go out looking like that you're going to get caught. Be grateful that you got away this time."

"Now now devil boy, just because you always have a stick up your ass doesn't mean we all have to have one."

"Father!" Jester looked over at the woman with the short, dark hair and sighed. He began spinning in a circle, slowly gaining speed until he was only a blur. When he stopped he was dressed in an all black suit. The makeup on his face had disappeared, and his hat was gone.

"I apologize Vergil," the now bald man stated as he gave a slight bow. "I simply dislike having to hide who we truly are just to stay out of trouble."

"As do I," Vergil replied, "but we have recently lost Gloria to the executioners. I don't want to risk any more lives from thoughtlessness."

"I understand. Come Mary, we must finish preparing our act for the festival." Lady followed her father after a quick wave to the others.

"I also have to finish getting ready for my part," the blond woman said. She turned to the twins, fixing her blue eyes on the younger of the two.

"You know Dante, you should probably start getting ready for your part seeing as the festival does start today."

Dante rubbed the back of his head and scowled. "Give me a break Trish. You know I hate festivals."

"That's odd. Usually you're the one causing the most trouble in our group." Dante just shrugged.

"Well then I'll see you two later."

When she was gone Vergil turned to his twin and pulled him inside the house. Glaring he asked, "What took you so long to get back? For a moment I thought that the guards had gotten you as well."

Dante smirked. "I saw someone." One of Vergil's eyebrows rose. "Oh really? Well that's not surprising. You'll flirt with anyone for money."

"Yeah and so do you," Dante shot back. "But this was different. He was up in the cathedral's bell tower. I didn't even know people could get up there."

"Who do you think ring the bells?" Vergil replied. "I'm a bit surprised though. The bell ringer has never been seen by anyone outside of the church. They keep him very well hidden."

"Why?"

"Rumors say that he's a demon." Dante shook his head. "He can't be a demon Verge. He was beautiful."

Vergil smirked. "Well then maybe he's an angel."

"Maybe. Either way I want to meet him. There's something different about him; he looks a lot like us, like a gypsy."

"Dante the only way you would even be able to see him again is if you get close to or inside of the cathedral, and the guards would catch you before that happened. The only way it would work is if you committed some sort of crime, somehow got into the church, and claimed sanctuary before they caught you."

The younger twin grinned. "You read my mind dear brother."

* * *

Kyrie ascended the stairs that led to the bell tower. In her hands she held a tray filled with food for the demon. She reached the door to its room and wrinkled her nose in disgust. Looking at it you'd think it was a normal gypsy man, but she could sense an aura around it that proved it wasn't human.

She knocked on the door before letting herself in. It was sitting on a stool looking over the balcony. She cleared her throat and it looked at her.

"Here's your breakfast Nero," she said with false cheer. She stood beside it, though she really just wanted to leave, and stared at the city below.

"It really is too bad that you can't go to the festival with us. You're missing out on so much." She could feel it glaring at her. Smiling, she turned towards it and laid her hand on its white hair.

"Maybe next year," she said mockingly. Its glare was still fixed on her as she walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

Now she had to scrub her hands; she couldn't believe she had actually touched it.

* * *

General Credo walked the streets of Paris with a map in his hand. He was terribly lost. Stopping by a group of guardsman, he asked for directions to the soldiers' quarters.

He had a scheduled meeting with Judge Sanctus in half an hour at the Palace of Justice and wanted to put his belongings away before hand. The guards pointed him in the right direction, stuttering as they realized who he was.

Sighing to himself, he began the trek to his destination, praying that he would get there on time.

* * *

Nero finished his food and continued to gaze sadly down at the busy city. He felt even lonelier after what Kyrie had said.

A loud commotion sounded from the first floor of the church. Curious, Nero opened the door to his room and slowly walked down the stairs. He wasn't allowed out of his tower, but for some reason he felt as though he had to see what was going on.

Loud voices echoed off of the vaulted ceilings. Nero peeked around a pillar and saw a figure in a dark cloak being shielded by the Archdeacon. A group of armed soldiers stood outside of the doors.

"Give him to us! He has committed a crime and must be punished."

The Archdeacon lowered his arms. "You have no proof of any crime, and this man claimed sanctuary. Leave now or I will call for your superiors."

The soldiers backed away, grumbling as the doors to the church closed. The Archdeacon and the man conversed for a time before he finally put his hood down.

Surprise welled up in Nero at the sight of the familiar stranger, but it was quickly replaced with pain. His right arm convulsed and began turning dark red. A cry of agony escaped Nero's lips and he fell to the floor, watching as his skin hardened and formed into thick plates.

The servants of the church stopped what they were doing and looked at him.

"It's the bell ringer!" one exclaimed.

"What is he doing here? He's not allowed to leave his tower."

"The demon has escaped! Look at his arm! He's come to kill us!"

Blue met blue once again, but this time Nero looked away first. The gypsy walked towards him and he panicked. He turned and ran back up the stairs, the other man's voice echoing behind him.


	4. The Plan

Hello! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas (if you celebrate it), and a Happy New Year! I can't believe it's already 2010. Time passes by so quickly. Anyway, this chapter is more of a filler. Nothing really all that new here. I'm hoping to update this in few days along with Broken Promises.

**The Plan**

The twins sat in their house for the next ten minutes, thinking of a way to get Dante into the cathedral. When a plan was finally decided upon, Dante ran to a rarely used back room to get the supplies that they would need.

He came back with a pair of nice black pants and a beautiful blue trench coat. They only ever used things like this when they were performing. Also in Dante's hand was a jar of black liquid.

"I don't like this Dante. You can get into serious trouble if this doesn't work out right." Dante only smiled. Soon Vergil was dressed in the expensive looking clothing, and it was time for the last step.

"Lean back so I don't get this shit all over your clothes," Dante ordered.

Vergil obeyed, sitting in a chair and leaning his head back. After making sure his brothers eyes were closed, Dante began to smear the makeshift dye into the silver hair of his twin.

The final touch was a pair of shiny black boots. Vergil put them on and stood up, taking off the gold pendant he always wore and handing it to his brother.

"I'll kill you if you lose that."

"I know that already. Jeez calm down Verge."

Dante slipped the gold necklace around is neck next to the identical silver one that was already there. After donning on a dark cloak, he looked at his twin and smiled.

"Let's do this."

* * *

After many wrong turns and dead ends, Credo finally made it to the Palace of Justice. He was led down to the dungeons where screams of pain where heard from somewhere in the distance . He winced at the sound of a whip hitting flesh. He may have been fighting in the war for the last twenty years, but that didn't mean he enjoyed violence.

He stopped next to a slightly hunched over man who was watching the torture with a grin on his face. After a few moments of watching the morbid scene in front of him, Credo cleared his throat. The man turned and smiled again.

"Ah! So this is the gallant Captain Credo home from the war."

"Reporting for duty as ordered, sir."

The man began circling around the captain with his hands behind his back, his glasses glowing in the dim torch light.

"Your service record precedes you Credo. I expect nothing but the best from a war hero of your caliber."

"You shall have it sir, I guarantee it."

"Yes. You know, my last captain of the guard was a bit of a disappointment to me."

Another scream rang through the chamber, and he smiled manically, his white teeth shining against his dark skin.

He continued, "Well, no matter. I'm sure you'll _whip _my men into shape."

"Uh, th-thank you," Credo stuttered, "It's a tremendous honor sir." _I think…._

The man, who Credo found out was named Agnus, led him further up the building. They strolled along a walkway that looked out at the city below.

"You have come to Paris in her darkest hour captain," Agnus said, "It will take a firm hand to save the weak minded from being so easily mislead."

"Mislead sir?"

"Look captain, gypsies."

They gazed at the streets below them and saw groups of brightly clothed people dancing. Some played instruments while others held out hats in hopes of gaining a few extra coins.

"They have defied the noble order," Agnus continued, "Their heathen ways inflame the peoples' lowest instincts. They must be stopped."

"I was summoned from the war to capture fortune tellers and palm readers?" Credo asked, one eyebrow rising in disbelief.

"Ah, the real war captain," Agnus said as he placed a hand on Credo's shoulder, "is what you see before you. For twenty years I've been taking care of the gypsies, one by one. And yet, for all my success, they have thrived. I believe they have a safe haven within the walls of this very city. They call it the Court of Miracles."

"What are we going to do about it sir?"

Agnus smiled again, "Destroy it. I want every one of those filthy heathens dead."

Credo blinked, making sure no emotion showed on his face.

"Yes sir."

Agnus wrapped an arm around him, forcing Credo to walk with him.

"I like you captain."

* * *

The two brothers stood in an empty alley putting the final touches on their plan.

"Remember Dante," Vergil said quietly, "once they start chasing you head straight for the church. Don't mess around or take any unnecessary detours. I want you to come back from this in one piece."

Dante grinned at his twin. "Aw, come on Vergil. Stop insulting me. You really think I'm gonna let a group of fat ass guards catch me?"

"I mean it," the older brother said.

Dante sighed. "Yeah, yeah I know." The younger pulled the hood of his cloak over his head, and they both went into the busy street. As soon as they were out, Dante took off running.

"Thief!" Vergil yelled, "Guards! Stop him! That gypsy has stolen from me!"

The guards in the area looked at Vergil and immediately chased after Dante. They assumed that since Vergil looked rich, it meant that he was. Vergil watched as his brother disappeared into the crowd.

"Be safe Dante."

* * *

Dante ran as fast as he could, dodging in between people as he went. The further he got, the more guards began to chase him. He zipped around another corner and let out a sigh of relief as the cathedral appeared in front of him.

He ran straight into the heavy, wooden doors, allowing his momentum to help push them open. He got inside just as the soldiers following him reached the church steps. Dante turned, looked at them, and cried, "Sanctuary!"

The Archdeacon ran to him and shielded him with his arms when the guards ignored his cry of protection. The guards stopped in front of the old man, weapons at the ready.

"Give him to us!" one of them shouted, "he has committed a crime and must be punished."

The Archdeacon lowered his arms. "You have no proof of any crime, and this man has claimed sanctuary. Leave now or I will call for your superiors."

The guards grumbled before turning and leaving. As the doors shut behind them, the Archdeacon turned to the slightly panting Dante.

"What trouble have you gotten yourself into my son? You must be careful when it comes to the soldiers surrounding this city."

He glanced down at Dante's chest. Seeing the two pendants he asked, "Would these be the things they claimed you stole?"

Dante nodded. "Yes, but they aren't stolen. One is mine and one is my twins. They were gifts from our mother."

The old man nodded. "I see. Well, you are free to stay as long as you please. You are safe here."

"Thank you." Dante pushed his hood back and shook his head, allowing his hair to fall back into place. A loud cry tore through the air behind them. Chaos broke loose as Dante turned to find the cause.

The man he was looking for was on the floor holding his convulsing arm tightly. The man's face reddened as people started to yell about demons and monsters. Dante walked towards him, and the man panicked, turning away and running up the stairs.

"Wait!" Dante cried. But the man was already gone.

**Reviews are still greatly appreciated : D**


	5. Meeting Him

**Wow, I didn't think i'd get this up as fast as I did lol. Here's the next chapter :**

Credo trailed along behind Agnus as they walked out of the

Palace of Judgment. As they were waiting for the guards that would lead them safely through the city, Credo asked a question that had been bothering him.

"Excuse me sir, but I thought that I would be meeting with Judge Sanctus. Why is it that I met with you instead?"

Agnus looked back at him and sighed. "Unfortunately," he began, "we judges are forced to attend a yearly festival. Today is the start of this festival, so Sanctus is there at the moment. You will be meeting with him eventually."

Before Credo could reply, the guardsmen arrived. They took off to their destination, the Notre Dame cathedral.

* * *

Dante sighed as he stared up the winding steps leading to the bell tower. Before he could ascend them, however, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and saw the Archdeacon giving him a kind smile.

"I wouldn't go up there. The bell ringer is a quiet man, and he usually likes being alone." Dante faced the old man. "How would you know that? Have you talked to him?"

The man nodded. "I have. He's shy, but I sense that he has a very gentle soul. Although there is something different about him."

"Oh?" Dante replied, tilting his head to one side.

"I also sense a tremendous power sleeping within him. I fear that there would be much trouble if the power were ever released." With that the Archdeacon walked away, leaving Dante with his thoughts.

"I'd rather go see for myself," he mumbled as he began climbing the stairs.

Nero leant against the overhang letting his hair blow in the slight breeze. His heart had finally calmed down from earlier. Who was that man?

_Why does he keep showing up?_ Nero thought to himself. He clenched his hand into a fist. _Why do I want to see him so badly?_

It was true. He had only seen the man twice and he already wanted to see him again. _Not that it matters if I do see him again. With this arm I can be officially labeled a demon. No one will get near me now._

He lowered his head onto his arms and sighed.

"Beautiful view you've got up here."

Nero jumped at the sound of another voice. Turning around he saw the man from earlier standing a few feet away. He was looking out into the city below, a small smile on his face.

Nero blinked a few times before saying, "who the hell are you?"

The other silver haired man glanced at him for a few moments, and then turned towards him. "Tsk tsk. You know, you shouldn't say things like that. We are in a church."

Nero glared at him. "You didn't answer my question."

The man sighed. "Fine. My name's Dante. And you are?" Nero looked at him with a suspicious eye before answering.

"Nero."

Dante nodded. "Not a bad name."

Nero smiled slightly and once again looked out at the bustling city below him.

"Neither is yours."

Dante grinned. They stood in silence before Nero decided to break it.

"Why are you here? You know no one is allowed up here, right?"

"Oh I know." Dante glanced over at him. "Something about you has caught my interest. After I saw you earlier, I couldn't stop thinking about you."

Nero felt his face heat up. A thought crossed his mind, causing him to frown.

"Isn't that a bad thing? It's not good to be thinking about other men like that right? My master says that it's a sin."

"Hmm." Dante continued to stare out into the open. "I guess it depends on what you believe. Your _master_ also says that being a gypsy is a sin, but I can't help but be one. Just like you can't help the changes your arm is going through."

Nero looked down at the mentioned arm. It was completely covered in a red shell like armor. _At least the pain is gone…_

"Have you ever thought about leaving?"

The question took Nero by surprise. He answered slowly, "Of course, but I never will. My master says that I'm a monster, and that I will never be able to fit in with normal people."

Dante frowned. "I wonder," he said, "who is the true monster, and who is the man?"

"What?"

Dante smiled again. "Never mind." He looked down and saw Trish standing in the street below, silently watching them.

"Well, I think it's time for me to leave."

Nero watched as Dante walked away. He was confused when the gypsy stopped and turned back to face him.

"Can I come back?"

After blinking rapidly for a second Nero said, "Yes, but there are guards. Why risk it?"

Dante shrugged. "I want to see you again. I'll be back after sunset tomorrow."

He quickly walked up to Nero and kissed him gently on the lips. "Something to remember me by," he said as the bell ringer turned three different shades of red. He bowed slightly before leaving the blushing man alone.

* * *

The next few days passed without incident. Every night Dante would sneak up to the bell tower, and they would talk for hours. Everyday the gypsy tried to convince Nero to go to the festival with him, and everyday he got the same answer.

The week long festival was almost over, and Dante was determined to get Nero to go.

Unfortunately, all good things eventually come to an end.


	6. Not Another One

This story has really gotten to me again. Three updates in three days!!!!!! That's crazy lol.

**WARNING: Language, slight gore and blood, OOC Lady**

Not Another One

There wasn't much of it, but the more time Nero spent with Dante, the more he fell for him. It was difficult to feel this way about another man; he had been told his entire life that it was a huge sin. But he couldn't help it. Slowly but surely, he was falling in love with Dante.

* * *

Lady stood outside of the cathedral with her father and the twins. They were supposed to be making some extra money for last minute costume fix ups. She glared over at Dante. He had been staring up at the bell tower for the last ten minutes with a dreamy look on his face. Her brown skirts swayed as she walked over to him.

"You'll see him later. Come on, you've already let a bunch of people walk right past you without even trying to talk to them."

"Sorry," he replied with a sigh. "Flirting gets boring after awhile you know."

Lady smirked. "I thought it was your mission to sleep with everyone in the city. People would pay a lot to have you in their bed."

Dante laughed. "That's true. It's weird though," he looked back up at the cathedral, "lately when I go home with someone, I've been feeling guilty about it."

Silence fell between them. They watched as Jester started entertaining some children with a puppet show. Vergil was a little farther down talking with a very pretty woman. She had a blush on her face, and Lady wasn't surprised when the older twin walked away with her a few minutes later.

She heard another sigh as the man next to her stood. He smiled at her before walking off to talk to a man who had been eyeing him. Lady watched him flirt for a moment before she too got up.

Picking up a tambourine from the ground, she shook it, starting a slow rhythm. Another gypsy sitting close by began tapping on a makeshift drum. She moved her body to the beat, and soon she was dancing fast enough to draw a crowd. The hat in front of her slowly began filling with coins as her movements became more provocative.

The crowd whistled and clapped when she finished. She looked up and found a pair of brown eyes watching her closely. The man they were attached to looked like a high ranked soldier, so she was surprised he was even there. As the people began to thin out, he walked up to her. After studying her a little longer, he dropped a handful of coins in her hat and walked away.

_That was different._ She felt another pair of eyes on her, and turned to find a group of lower class guards watching her hungrily. Turning her nose up to them, she walked away, but stopped when she felt a strong hand gripping her arm.

She was pulled backwards by one of the more daring guards. His free hand trailed down her waist and stopped at her ass, squeezing it hard. She spun around and smashed the metal part of the tambourine in his face.

He threw her to the ground with a cry of pain. The other guards quickly surrounded her, pointing their weapons towards her. "You'll pay for that bitch," one said as he lifted her chin with the tip of his sword. She saw Dante struggling to get to her through the reemerging crowd.

Her eyes snapped back up to the guard as he raised his sword. But before he could cut into her, a purple blur crashed into him. The guard's sword clattered to the ground, and was picked back up by a shockingly white hand.

Jester stood in front of Lady, brandishing the weapon at the dumbfounded men.

"Get up and run Mary. Go hide somewhere with the devil boy."

The guards charged at him, but he held them off easily.

"No!" Lady shouted, "I won't leave you!"

Jester turned and picked her up by the front of her shirt. "Do as I say girl!" he yelled before kissing her on the forehead and throwing her into Dante.

The younger twin grabbed her hand and they were off. She managed to turn back around and watched as her father decapitated a guard who was unfortunate enough to not be wearing a helmet. People in the crowd began to scream as the now headless body fell backwards spraying anyone close to it with blood and pieces of flesh.

Tears ran down her cheeks as Jester was tackled to the ground. He laughed manically as he fell, and didn't stop even as they chained him up and drug him to the stocks.

The guard who had originally groped her stood next to her father as his head and arms were locked into the wooden board.

"This gypsy has committed a terrible crime!" He yelled out to the people. "He has murdered one of the honorable men of the guard! This is a crime punishable by death. He shall be hung at sundown!"

Most of the people cheered and began throwing things at the condemned gypsy. Lady sunk to her knees crying silently in her hands. She looked up when she felt Dante's hand on her shoulder. Wiping her face, she stood and backed away from him.

"We should separate," she said slowly. "I'm going to find Vergil and tell him what happened. I want to be here when they…" She fell silent for a moment. Taking a deep breath she said, "I won't abandon him when he needs me the most. I'll be there for him till the end."

Dante nodded and she took off in the direction his twin had gone earlier. He closed his eyes and rubbed at his face. _I can't believe we're losing another one. _He needed to see Nero.

* * *

Nero had seen the whole thing. He had watched as the man in purple killed a guard and was locked up. He also heard the announcement regarding his punishment. So it didn't surprise him when Dante showed up in his tower a few minutes later.

"You saw what happened?"

"Yeah."

"I don't understand why this keeps happening." Dante sat on Nero's makeshift bed and put his head in his hands. "Jester will be the second one we've lost in less than a week."

"The second one?"

Dante nodded. "Trish's sister Gloria was burned at the stake last week for witch craft. Funnily enough, we don't _use_ witch craft."

He looked up at Nero. "Is it alright if I stay here and sleep? God knows Vergil is gonna throw a fit after it's over, so I'm probably not gonna get any rest tonight."

"That's fine. I'll wake you up before I ring the evening bells."

Dante gave him a tiny smile and stood back up. Walking up to Nero, he gently gripped the back of the others neck and brought him in for a long, soft kiss. When he pulled away, he laughed inwardly at the blush adorning Nero's face.

It was only their second kiss, and Dante looked forward to many more in the future. Lying back down, he closed his eyes and attempted to fall asleep.

* * *

Lady didn't stop running until she reached the cemetery. She had no idea where Vergil was, but she was sure he would come back to the hideout once he was finished. She entered the Court of Miracles at full speed, hitting people in her rush. She stopped at the twin's house, leaning against the door as she caught her breath.

Luckily Vergil didn't make her wait long. As soon as she spotted him, she ran to him and told him everything. She was crying again by the time she finished. The older twin wrapped his arms around her and held her until she was done.

"I'm sorry Lady," he said, "but there isn't anything I can do."

She took a deep breath and pulled away from him. "I know."

Vergil sighed. "I'll go tell the others."

* * *

The hours passed by slowly, but Dante couldn't fall asleep. He was staring at the ceiling when Nero went to wake him up. The sun was just beginning to set as Nero began ringing the bells.

Dante watched as the other pulled on the thick rope, his arm muscles bulging. The ringing of the bells was tremendously loud, and it amazed Dante that Nero could still hear properly after doing this everyday. As the sound faded away, the gypsy stood. He gave Nero a hug and left the tower. It was gonna be a long night.


	7. Memories and Surprises

**Hi!!! This chapter is VERY short. Sorry about that. More will come soon :)**

It had been unnaturally cold that night. Trish watched as her sister entertained children by making fire float in her hand. It was a simple trick, but it never failed to make them smile. Gloria had always been good at that, making people smile.

The guards had appeared out of nowhere. The gypsies had decided on staying the night in the town square instead of the Court of Miracles. It was easier on the kids that way.

They scattered, running separate ways, trying to keep to the shadows. Except Gloria. She stayed behind to help an elder who was too old to move quickly. With her help the old lady vanished into thin air. Another simple trick. Nothing magical about it. Yet they accused her of witch craft. Drug her away and tied her to a piece of wood on the stage in the center of the square.

Gloria burned that morning. They watched as her skin blistered, listened as her screams slowly faded away. For the first time, Trish despised the sunrise, Vergil shed a tear, and Jester was completely silent. It was a day Trish would never forget. None of them would.

* * *

The chill evening air whipped around Dante as he rushed to find his comrades. His twin found him first, gripping the younger brother's arm as he flashed through the crowd. Vergil's face was a mask of stone, void of all emotion.

"How is Nero?" Dante winced at the monotony his brother's voice portrayed.

"He's doing fine. What about Lady?" Vergil pointed forward. Lady stood a few feet ahead of them, back unnaturally straight and face pale. Trish stood next to her, her hair billowing in the wind and her eyes out of focus. Dante knew what she was thinking about. He knew the memory she was playing over and over again in her head. The same one he'd been having nightmares about for the past couple of days, since the day it happened.

His thoughts were interrupted when the people behind him started to complain about being pushed. A figure in a dark cloak rushed towards him stopping only a couple inches away. Dante tilted his head and peered under the hood, freezing in place when he saw dark blue eyes looking back at him.

"Nero…?"

**Nero left the tower! *gasp* And now you know what happened to Gloria. I'll be back with another chapter soon.**


	8. The Execution

**Hello everybody. I want to thank all of you for putting up with my lack of updating. I appreciate all of you and hope that you continue to be patient with me... Anyway, here's the next chapter of FRTB. I shall be updating Don't Let Me Fall next along with Broken Promises. I've also started a Final Fantasy 8/ Kingdom Hearts story, so if there's any fans reading this go check it out :)**

Nero watched as Dante left the tower. He wished he could go with the older teen, to be there when he needed comfort. Well, he could go but then he risked the wrath of his master. Then again, his master wouldn't be visiting him until tomorrow morning. He would definitely be back by then.

_Just this once._

Getting out was easy. He donned on a cloak and scaled down the side of the cathedral. He had memorized the guards' schedule, so he knew when no one would be on watch. His feet hit the ground, and he looked around nervously. He had never been out here before. It was a bit overwhelming.

A head of silver hair caught his attention. Nero watched as it moved quickly through the growing crowd in front of him, only to be stopped as it passed by another head of silver hair. The sounds of approaching guards kicked the bell ringer into action. He ran, pushing through the crowd on his way. He stopped in front of a bewildered looking Dante.

The gypsy peeked under Nero's hood. His eyes widened comically when he realized who it was.

"Nero?"

The younger man smiled shyly at him. The silver haired man next to Dante spoke.

"Nero? I thought he…"

"Yeah, I'm just as surprised as you are," Dante interrupted. Nero stared back and forth between the two of them in silent wonder. They were identical. He knew Dante had a brother, but he hadn't been aware that it was a twin brother. He was about to say something when a soldier stomped up in front of the crowd.

"We will finish this conversation later," the other twin said before pushing further into the crowd. Dante grabbed Nero's hand and pulled him along. They stopped by two women.

"That's Lady, and that's Trish," the gypsy explained, pointing first to the burnet and then the blonde. "Lady's father is the one who is going to be executed," he continued quietly. Nero watched the shorter woman's hand clench into a fist.

The crowd went completely silent as the victim was brought up. Jester was in a small stock which allowed him to walk freely. The noose was already in place. As the head guard began reading the charges against the gypsy, Nero noticed both Dante and his twin surrounding Lady. They stood there, not touching her, but giving her support just through their presence.

The guard finished reading and they took the prisoner out of his stock, only to put the noose around his neck. The bell ringer glanced back at Lady. For someone who was about to witness their father being murdered she seemed quite calm. That is, until Jester smiled softly at her. She broke down then, crying out as the executioner pulled the lever causing her father to fall through the stage he was standing on.

Nero watched in shock as the man was jerked up by the rope. He was one of the lucky ones if the audible crack that was heard was anything to go by. The gypsy's neck was broken instantly, allowing him a quick death.

Watching things like this from his tower was one thing, but seeing it so close was…horrifying. He never wanted to see it again.

* * *

Credo watched the scene from a distance. Although he despised public acts of murder, there was nothing he could do. The gypsy girl who had caught his eye earlier that day was creating a commotion in the crowd. He was about to go try and calm her down when he heard what she was screaming.

"No! Father!" she cried. Two gypsy men held her still as she tried to run up to the dead man.

"Damn it, let go of me!" The men began dragging her away from the crowd. She struggled before screaming, "If you don't let go I swear I'll never forgive you Dante!" The man on her right stopped. He looked at the man on her left uneasily before continuing on. Credo heard one last heart wrenching scream as they disappeared from sight. Closing his eyes he thought, _what a cruel world we live in._

_

* * *

_

Only after physically restraining, and dragging her away from the scene, did Lady calm down. They had managed to get to one of the many hideouts scattered around the city. Lady sat on the ground and sobbed.

Vergil went to comfort her as Dante went over to Nero. They stood together for a moment before Nero asked, "So, who was he?"

"One of the founding members of our group. His true name was Arkham, but everyone on the streets called him Jester. He was definitely a weird one, but he was still family." He sighed and turned towards his twin. Vergil had managed to calm Lady down completely. She sat in his lap staring off into space. The younger twin felt his heart break for her all over again. A warm hand slipped into his own, and he looked over into the wide blue eyes of his bell ringer.

"Come on," he said, pulling Nero towards the group of gypsies, "I'll formally introduce you."

They stopped next to Vergil and Lady. Dante cleared his throat and their eyes focused on him.

"Everyone, this is Nero."

"Ah," Trish said from the corner, "this is the kid you've been talking about all the time huh?" Nero blushed at the question. Before Dante could reply, Vergil cut in.

"He looks just like us." He turned his ice blue gaze to Nero. "Why is it that we've never seen you before?"

The younger man looked down at his feet. "My master has forbidden me from ever leaving the bell tower. He says I'm a demon."

Lady moved from her place in Vergil's lap. Standing up, she walked over to Nero and gently lifted his chin up. His blue eyes gazed into her slightly watery bi-colored ones.

"I've seen demons before," she said smiling slightly. "You are no demon."

"Thank you," he whispered.

Dante glanced at the sky before breaking the silence that had fallen.

"Nero, the sun is setting. I'm sure someone will notice if the bells aren't ringing like they should be."

The younger man broke eye contact with the gypsy woman and nodded to Dante in agreement before leading the way out of the small enclosure. The journey to the bell tower was short, and the careful trek to the top passed by smoothly.

Nero smiled inwardly as he pulled himself up over the ledge of his balcony. He turned, about to help Dante up as well, when a voice made his heart freeze in terror.

"Hello Nero."


	9. The Awakening

**Hey everyone! Long time, no see. Sorry I've been so lame lately. But I'm back and reinspired. I hope you enjoy this chapter… I've decided to take this story in a different direction than what was originally intended. Reviews are appreciated: D**

The cathedral was dark and silent at this time of night. It had an almost spooky feel to it. Kyrie walked along one of the shadowed halls, her footsteps echoing off of the cobblestone walls. She stopped near one of the giant glass windows that lined the front of the church. An execution had taken place a little while ago, yet the guards still had to clean up the body. Its slack jawed face stared blindly at her from the noose it hung on.

She continued on, passing by a few more windows before something made her stop. Two silver haired men ran towards the cathedral holding hands. If that wasn't appalling enough, one of them had a horribly disfigured arm. It looked a lot like….

"Nero….?"

Yes it was. She could tell by the way he walked. But that would mean… he snuck out. She smiled to herself and made a sharp right, pushing open a door and climbing up a set of stone stairs. She made it to Nero's room just as he climbed over the balcony's ledge. He turned, presumably to help his little friend up too, when she stepped out of the shadows.

"Hello Nero."

Credo walked down the deserted streets. The sun was setting behind the cathedral bathing the city in a pinkish glow. Paris really was a beautiful place.

His musings were interrupted by the sound of someone crying. He rounded the corner of the street on which he was walking and followed the noise to a near by alley way. Sitting there on the filthy ground was the gypsy woman from earlier. She'd caught his eye when she was dancing in the square that morning. The evening light shone off of her porcelain skin and her tear covered face, making her glow. She truly was beautiful.

His footsteps alerted her to him, and she sprang up, her body position turning defensive. He raised his hands and backed off, taking a couple of steps backwards.

"What do you want?" she asked, her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she took in his Captains uniform.

"I heard you crying," he replied. "I saw you earlier at the….execution."

Her body relaxed and she sank to the ground. Credo lowered his hands and stepped towards her, sliding down the wall and sitting next to her. She looked over and studied him again.

"You were watching me dance earlier." It was a statement, not a question. "You're nothing like the other soldiers."

"Thank you," he replied, giving her a half smile. "When you spend as much time as I have fighting in a war, you learn to appreciate the little things. Like the sunset or a beautiful woman."

She blushed slightly at the compliment. It made her even more beautiful in his eyes.

"So," she said, clearing her throat, "what's your name?"

"Credo, Captain of the Guard."

She rolled her eyes slightly and smiled at his introduction.

"And your name is?"

"Mary. But everyone calls me Lady. Only my father calls me Mary." She caught herself and said, "Well…that's what he used to call me anyway."

A fresh wave of tears cascaded down her face and he tentatively wrapped an arm around her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as she fell into his embrace, soaking his uniform with her tears.

"I'm so sorry."

Dante knew something was wrong the minute Nero climbed over the ledge. It was confirmed when he never came back to help Dante up. The gypsy carefully pulled himself up and peered over the ledge, and was confronted with a smirking woman. She stared at Nero with almost black eyes, and he stared back with contempt. As Dante entered the room the woman glanced over and smiled even wider.

"Out for a walk… with your boyfriend, Nero?"

Nero looked at the floor as she began to laugh. _'What the hell is she doing?'_ Dante thought to himself as he took a step forward.

"Don't move!" Nero yelled at the gypsy. Dante froze in shock.

"Nero…?"

"Oooooh, look at little Nero," Kyrie giggled, "such a big and tough man. Bossing his BOYFRIEND around!" She started laughing harder. Dante watched as Nero's fists clenched.

"Not only," she continued, laughing between words, "are you a FREAK, but you're with a MAN! Wait until master Sanctus hears about this!"

"You won't tell him anything," the bell ringer growled. Dante backed away at the sound. What was going on? Something bad was about to happen.

"Nero…"

"Little itty bitty Nero, locked away in his tower all by himself. Do you love him?" She pointed at Dante.

"Did you know," she continued, "that this gypsy sleeps with anyone who's willing for money?"

Nero swiveled towards Dante, hurt beaming from his deep blue eyes.

"And you thought he loved you, didn't you Nero?" she suddenly stopped laughing; her face completely serious as she continued to stare at the bell ringer.

"No one will ever love you."

"Nero! Don't listen to her."

"Your own mother tried to drown you rather than have to live with you."

"Nero please, look at me. Listen to me, not her."

The bell ringer shut his eyes trying to drown out the noise. There was some kind of rushing sound in his ears. He was feeling things he'd never felt before, intense anger that wanted to be released. He just wanted it all to stop.

"You will die here alone Nero. You will always be alone"

"I love you Nero!"

"Because no one could possibly love a demon."

And suddenly, he was gone.

"**THAT'S ENOUGH"**

There was a flash of light and a blast of energy that threw both Dante and Kyrie off of their feet. The gypsy slammed into a stone wall and lay there dazed. He watched as Nero, or what used to be Nero, picked up the woman and threw her against the ground like a ragdoll. Her scream was cut short as she hit the ground; her neck was bent the wrong way, bones protruding from her skin. Dante watched as Nero stalked towards him and picked him up. The gypsy looked into now blood red eyes as the demon headed towards the balcony they had climbed over just a short time ago. He blacked out just as they left the edge, and fell through open air.


End file.
